Topping the list with 11 nominations was Martin Scorsese's 3D adventure Hugo set in the 1930s about an orphan who lives in a train station - just ahead silent movie The Artist, which received 10.
Hugo's nominations include best director, where he is up against Michel Hazanavicius, Alexander Payne, Woody Allen and Terrence Malick, best picture and best adapted screenplay.
Baseball movie Moneyball and Steven Spielberg's War Horse were in third place, with six award nominations each.
Meryl Streep is a hot favourite for Best Actress, gaining her 17th Oscar nomination for her performance as former British premier Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady.
Other nominees in the category are Glenn Close for her work in Albert Nobbs, Viola Davis in The Help, Rooney Mara in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady and Michelle Williams in My Week With Marilyn.
battling for Best Actor are Demian Bichir, George Clooney, Jean Dujardin, Gary Oldman and Brad Pitt.
Foreign language film nominees are A Separation by Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi, along with Footnote (Israel), In Darkness (Poland), Monsieur Lazhar (Canada), and Bullhead (Belgium).
The 84th annual Academy Awards will to be presented at a Hollywood ceremony on February 26.
-APNZ
